Somebody to Die For
by Paintedwings77
Summary: Clara remembers. She remembers all the lives she had saving the Doctor. Some memories come on fast, while others seem to come in their own time. Until Clara remembers saving one Doctor that she fell in love with. One Doctor that would change everything, even his own future to save his Clara. 10th/11th/Clara/Allonswin **Romance/Drama/Angst With fluff!**
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own or claim to own Doctor Who or it's characters.  
This takes place after "The Day of The Doctor", but before "The Time of the Doctor" in 11th timeline.  
It also takes place after "The poison sky" in 10th timeline._

**Somebody to Die For**

Clara Oswald ... The impossible girl. The Doctor's impossible girl.

Well it is what he calls me, or has called me, or maybe it was just a dream? It is so hard to tell what is real and what isn't real sometimes. It feels like I have lived a thousand lives, thousands of memories all imprinted into my mind. Some of the memories came to me as soon as I entered the Doctor's time stream, and some come to me in dreams.

At other times it is like when you forget something and you know you are forgetting something, but for the life of you, you cannot remember what it is. And then it hits you, like a ton of bricks, and you remember.

I have asked the Doctor why some of these memories are coming to me now. He says it's because it hasn't happened yet, or it's happening at this very moment. That never did make much sense to me, but then again, many things the Doctor says don't always make sense ... at least not right away.

_-"Time is not a straight line, Clara. It hops around; it is like a big ball of timey wimey."_

_-"Timey wimey? Really Doctor, now you are just talking gibberish."_

_-"Blame my last self for that one."_

As much as that explanation made little sense to me, it had helped make me feel better. I am not going mad after all.

I have memories, so many memories of copies of me saving the Doctor. Different faces of his, but they are all the same man. My Doctor.

When I ask him if he remembers me at all, he says no. He only knows me as I am now. I think he says that because he worries about me. I worry about me. I sometimes wonder if I am the real thing or just another copy and I will suffer from the same fate all my other-selves have.

I clearly remember the Doctor mentioning meeting me in the Victorian times. I was a governess. I know this because I remember. I remember meeting and saving my Doctor. I met him in the future too, where I saved him again. But those two times he was as he is now, with the face that I have come to know and love.

I often wonder why he refuses to talk about all the other times I have saved him, when he was his past-self. But then I recall a whisper that I heard not to long ago.

_The Man Who Forgets._

The Doctor, this Doctor, does not want to remember.

But I wish he would ... It would make me feel like all this is not just a dream. That these things really did happen. I wasn't always this doubtful though. I've only been questioning everything for the last month. I never doubted any of my memories until now.

I had the most powerful flashback yet of another me, of another life. A memory that left me breathless and heartbroken. A fleeting thought that I simply couldn't go on without him. It just hurts too much.

This is the story of how I saved, loved and lost the tenth Doctor.

My Doctor.

* * *

-"What do you think of this one?" Lara held a blue sweater up to her full-frame. "Clara?"

-"Hmmm?" I turned to my best friend, who was now glaring at me. I knew that look ... I got that look all too often from people when I was supposed to be paying attention but I wasn't.

-"I asked you three times what you thought of this top!" She scolded.

-"Oh, yeah, it's nice." I shrugged, still not fully paying attention.

She thrust the shirt back onto the shelf with an annoyed sigh.

-"I don't know why I bother bringing you shopping with me, you never pay attention." Lara pouted as she slowly strolled away to the next display.

-"Sorry." I mumbled.

I never meant to be such an annoyance, but I seemed to always make people upset. I couldn't help it. Since I was a child I've had this feeling ... like I was waiting for something. It was like I was drifting through space and I was plunging down into endless fall. It's not that I didn't care, I was very passionate about several things, one of those things was stargazing. In fact, I loved it so much that I was studying astronomy at the University. But it just felt like there was something missing, like I needed to do something but I couldn't quite recall what it was.

I quickly hurried to catch up to Lara, who was now several aisles down. She held a red jacket and when I stopped next to her she held it up to me.

-"Try this on, red always looks hot on you." I slipped the pretty red coat on while Lara turned to me and adjusted the collar. I watched her hands effectively work. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Clara, I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely.

Looking up to her pretty, round face I forced a bright smile for her.

-"It's alright, I know I can be annoying, I zone out ..." I tried to keep the large smile plastered on my face, but as I spoke the words faltered and my face fell a bit.

-"I know." She gave me a sympathetic smile. "Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

I nodded, and tried to listen to Lara, who launched into a long sermon of all the advice she had collected about insomnia since I had last told her I hadn't slept well in months. Lara had been my friend since elementary school, we had done everything together. From going to our first dance to consoling each other after our first heartbreak. Lara knew everything about me, and she understood me - sort of. She tried hard to understand what I felt, but I knew she didn't.

No one ever did.

I tried to concentrate on the many tips Lara was rambling off, but out of the corner of my eye I caught something moving, fast. I turned my head towards the large display window and noticed a very tall, lank man in a long brown coat running by. My heart rate abruptly picked up at the sight of him. I didn't know what he was running to or from, but judging by the expression on his face whatever it was, it was important.

I furrowed my brow as I stared at the stranger, suddenly feeling something deep inside me stir, like I knew this man and I needed to follow him. No, not a need, it was deeper than that, it was an urge, almost like a deep instinct buried inside me.

He soon disappeared from viewed.

I glanced back at Lara who was still talking while sorting through the large rack. I then looked back at the window and took a step away from my friend, moving towards the large glass. _Who was that man?_ I pressed my face against the window, trying to get another look at him.

The sidewalk was filled with people, bustling by, going to work or just out shopping like I was, but there was no sight of the stranger.

With a sigh, I decided to get back to Lara before she saw I had wandered off, she really would flipped her lid this time. Even though my best friend was extremely tolerant with me, even she had limits, and I didn't want to spend the next week trying to make it up to her. But as I started to turn away, I saw him again. My heart sped up and my breath caught in my throat.

This time though he wasn't running, he was looking around, his head swiveled left and right, his eyes scanning the area as if he was desperately trying to find someone or something. My hands went to the window and I pushed my face against the glass, I had to get a closer look at him. My palms pressed against the glass and my breath fogged the window, but a few seconds later he walked by and I knew I had to get closer. But before I pulled away from the window I noticed another man. I don't know why this other man caught my attention but as I locked eyes on him, I noticed he was following this other man, close, way to close.

There was no way I could explain what happened next, except that something inside me told me to run. Every fiber in my body was screaming at me to run out there and save the man in the brown jacket. Without a second thought I listened to my instincts and took off running to the door, which was only a few steps away from the window.

I burst through the doors and the shrill sound of an alarm started to buzz, but I ignored the annoying noise along with the shouts coming from behind me. I quickly looked to my left and spotted both men, the tall man had stopped near the edge of the sidewalk, seeming to be considering which way to go next. The other man was dressed in dark clothing which seemed to belong in the Victorian era. He was standing behind the man with the brown jacket.

I quickly made an assessment of the situation and I realized that he was getting ready to push him; the man with the dark clothes was leaning back slightly, getting ready to shove the other man right out into London's busy road. I spurred into action and ran towards them just as the tall, lank man was pushed. He stumbled forward, losing his footing and fell right into the path of a speeding city bus.

I ran with everything I had inside me, suddenly wishing I was more in shape. I hopped off the curb and sprinted towards the man who had tumbled to his knees and seemed to be slightly confused by how he had gotten into the road. Moments later I reached for him and came to a dead stop. I grabbed his arm and with everything I had in me I tugged him up and off to the side.

-"Come on!" I shouted.

With an unknown strength, I dragged him a few inches back, far enough out-of-the-way, just as the large double-decker bus honked and blew right by us, missing us by mere inches. Stunned and frightened I felt my whole body shake. The man panted hard and looked at me with shock.

-"You saved me!" He exclaimed.

I nodded, unable to speak.

-"The bus would have hit me. Thank you." He frowned for a moment as his eyes peered at me. He then quickly stood up.

When he did, I realized now just how tall he really was. He towered me by several inches and I had to crane my neck up to look at him. He dusted off his long coat and glanced back at me. His eyes locked onto mine and I was memorized.

-"Do I know you?" He asked suddenly.

He was standing so close to me.

-"No, I don't think so." I managed to finally say, feeling very awkward.

I would definitely remember meeting someone like him before. Not only was he tall, but he was extremely handsome. His dark brown hair was slightly long and crazily styled. He had the most incredible hair I had ever seen on a man. His warm brown eyes were hypnotizing. They were full of curiosity and intelligence but there was such sadness to them, that it made it hard to keep staring at him without feeling that sorrow.

I quickly looked away, wondering what had happened to this gorgeous stranger.

-"You were pushed ..." I said and groaned at my obvious statement. I then quickly looked around for the man who had pushed him, but he was nowhere in sight. "He was just here ..."

The man crinkled his nose as he scanned the crowd of people, I had a feeling he was about to speak but before he got the chance too, I suddenly felt each of my arms being tightly grabbed. I twisted my head and saw a security guard on each arm and one directly behind me.

-"You need to come with us, miss." One said sternly.

-"What?!" I wiggled and tried to get free from their tight grasp.

-"Stealing is a serious offence."

-"I didn't -" But I quickly recalled the red coat. I looked down and groaned. I had run out of the shop with the red jacket that Lara had me try on and I had totally forgotten that I had slipped it on. The two guards that were holding to me roughly spun me around and led me to the store. "It was a mistake, I wasn't stealing!" I cried, trying to wrench free from the rigid hold they had on me.

I looked back at the man I just saved pleadingly, hoping he would tell them I had just saved his life!

_Why wasn't he helping?_

He was observing the situation but still said nothing. The two guards easily ignored my struggles and continued to escorted me back towards the store just as Lara came rushing out.

-"Clara! What is going on?" She hurried to my side "What happened?"

-"Excuse us, miss, this young woman was caught stealing." The guard that was not holding me brushed swiftly by Lara.

-"Stealing!? Don't be ridiculous!" She walked behind us. "Clara, what did you get yourself into now?" Lara cried in alarm.

I said nothing, but glanced back once again at the man I had just saved. He was still watching me, seeming to be deciding what he should do next. His face was strained as he ran a hand through his tousled hair making it stick up more in the air. I stumbled slightly from being half-dragged and not looking in front of me. The guards didn't seem to care that I almost fell and they were none to gentle with me, one of them tightened his grip on my arm even more. I winced in pain but said nothing.

-"Wait! Stop!" The tall man finally yelled. He ran to us and stood in front of the guards.

-"Sir, move out of the way or we will have to arrest you as well."

The man grinned.

-"I'd like to see you try!" He dug into his long light brown duster-type overcoat, and pulled out a leather case, which opened, revealing a picture identification card. "I am chief-inspector Smith, with the Scotland Yard. He flashed the cards and quickly snapped the wallet shut and put it back into his jacket. "This young woman was working under my orders. I was doing a test ..." He paused and looked at me with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "It was a test to see if you were prepared to apprehend a real thief."

Two of the guards that were holding onto me glanced suspiciously at each other.

-"You've passed with flying colors!" The man exclaimed. "So let my associate go so she can get back to work." He demanded turning serious.

All three guards were silent for a moment, seeming to consider his words. The one at the front gave a curt nod and both guards let me go. I couldn't help but rub the spot where one of them had held on to me.

-"So yes, very well, thank you." The stranger grabbed my free hand and tugged me towards him, he bent down slightly and whispered in my ear. "Give them back the jacket." The closeness of him, and his breath at my ear made me shiver, but I quickly snapped out of it and I took the coat off and handed it back to one of the guards.

My rescuer grabbed my hand again. "Okay, then, well ..." He slowly backed away.

I wasn't to sure what was going on here, but I was sure this guy was not from the Scotland Yard.

-"Hey, wait a minute ... "One of the guard's gave us a look of leer."My sister works at the Scotland Yard, and the chief-inspector is not named Smith." The guard suddenly said.

And with that, the man's grip on my hand tightened and he flashed them a brilliant smile.

-"Run!" He whispered.

Not giving me a chance to think twice he pulled me along with him.

I could have broken free, I could have stopped. But I didn't want too, I finally felt like something was right and there was no way I was letting go now. My stranger glanced behind us only to see the guards hot on our tails.

-"STOP!" They yelled.

The man's face held a grin from ear to ear. He picked up the pace, never letting go of my hand. He peeked at me for a brief moment.

-"I'm the Doctor, by the way, and I don't plan on ever stopping, how about you?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**There you have it. Please I welcome some feedback, comments, review. This is the first chapter of what will probably be a short story if there is interest in it, so please follow/favorite and comment and let me know if I should! :)**

**Like all my stories (if you are a regular reader of mine), this story will probably turn into a M-rated story for sexual content and possibly language.**

**XxX**


	2. Chapter 2 - Doctors Who?

**Chapter 2**

**Doctor Who?**

We ran down Oxford Street, hands clasp tightly together, weaving left and right, going through the crowds of people. My breathing was ragged and heavy and it felt like my heart might jump out of my chest, my Oxford booties pounded hard on the pavement as I prayed that a heel didn't break. But beside all those things, I was having the best time of my life.

The Doctor quickly glanced behind us to see if the guards were still chasing us. His face was slightly damp from running but he seemed to be as happy as I felt. Our eyes met for a brief moment and I felt my face flush even more. He gave me a large grin and winked, which made a laugh escaped my lips.

We ran for another block before The Doctor took a sharp right down one of the many alleys. I followed closely behind him, keeping a death grip on our sweaty hand. He then took another right and seconds later he came to an abrupt stop, only then did he let go of my hand.

The Doctor bent forward slightly and put his hands on his knees; he was panting and breathing hard. He lowered his head with a chuckle, trying to catch his breath. I sank against the wall and tried to regulate my shallow breaths.

-"Do ... you ... think ... we ... lost them?" I said in between pants.

-"Oh, I think it's safe to say yes." He laughed again, obviously feeling rather giddy about our escape.

We had easily run a good mile and I doubted that any of those guards were in any sort of shape to have kept up with us, even with me wearing heels.

-"I will never be able to go back to that store." I heaved myself off the wall and attempted to straighten my short floral Parisian dress, which clung to me thanks to the marathon we had just run.

We were down a typical London alleyway, it was narrow and even though it was late afternoon and the sun was still high in the sky, the alley had a dark, dreary look to it. The Doctor smiled and straightened up to his full six-foot two, reminding me just how short I really was at five foot three. His face suddenly became stern and his eyes bore over me, making me feel self-conscience.

He kept his eyes on me and took a step forward. But as he did so, I couldn't help but notice that something swam underneath the surface of his calm gaze, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. The one thing I was sure of was that he looked lean and dangerous - a lot like a predator watching its prey, and I couldn't help but take a step back, suddenly feeling rather trapped.

-"Do you make a habit of taking coats from shops?" He asked his face serious.

-"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" I crossed my arms over my chest and refused to be intimidated by this man.

-"Well ... It's just a little ... odd." He took another step closer and I matched his step going backwards, but there was nowhere left for me to go, my back hit the wall. "You were all the way inside that little shop, and somehow you were quick enough to spot the danger and save me."

I furrowed my brow at his statement. I couldn't tell him that I had noticed him before and had been watching him that was just too embarrassing. I tilted my head up defiantly as he stopped inches from me.

-"I didn't know saving someone's life meant I would be interrogated!" I glared up at the stranger and couldn't help but notice his soft, brown eyes looking at me curiously and not accusingly. I also noted the dusting of freckles on his cheeks and nose and thought how incredibly attractive he looked.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ I scolded, annoyed at myself. "Who are you anyway, you said Doctor, doctor who?" I snapped, irritated with my silliness of noticing how gorgeous this stranger really was.

His eyes sparkled with humor.

-"Oh, it's just the Doctor."

-"Just the Doctor? What sort of name is that?"

-"It's mine." He grinned and leaned in even closer. "And who are you?" His breath tickled the side of my neck.

-"Clara." I swallowed thickly, all too aware of him. "Clara Oswald."

-"Well, Clara, thank you, for saving me."

I gave a single curt nod, finding it hard to concentrate on anything but this strange man in front of me. I usually wasn't a tongue tight ninny around men. I had always been at ease, but the Doctor was giving me the strangest feeling. I felt this undeniable pull to him and it was very unnerving. My body was starting to lean forward and closer to him. Annoyed at my impulsive behavior, I side stepped around the Doctor, I had to get away from him.

-"Who was that man anyway, the one who pushed you?" I hurried and ask, trying to keep my brain busy with something other than the Doctor.

He spun around and faced me. His expression turned thoughtful.

-"I have no idea. I didn't see him, only you did."

-"Oh ..." I paused for a moment, recalling the creepy man. "He was dressed in dark clothes, and they were Victorian like, as if he was on his way to a play or something. He looked broody, angry ..." I trailed off because the Doctor didn't seem to be listening and I was probably sounding like an idiot.

The Doctor's expression was absent as he started to talk to himself.

-"It really could be anybody ... Although probably not a Dalek, it's not like them at all, and I don't see a cyberman doing this." He started to pace and speak rapidly. "I wonder ..." He spun around on the heels of his maroon converses and paced by me several times. "It's possible ..." He ran his hand through his hair. "But no ... it couldn't be!" He suddenly just stopped and turned to me. "Well, yes, thank you for saving me." He gave me a tight smile and turned away to leave.

-"Where are you going?"

-"I have things to do. But I am sure I will be seeing you again Miss, Clara." He waved his hand through the air, not bothering to turn back.

**oOo**

When I reached my small flat, I took off my shoes and let out a sigh of relief. Those shoes were not meant to be ran in that was for sure. I tossed them into the corner by the door, and then threw my keys on the coffee table followed by my black vest which took a flight onto the couch.

I lived in a small apartment right off the University campus. The place was small, the neighbors were loud and there always seemed to be something broken but it was mine and that was all that mattered.

I sank into my old couch with a sigh and once again couldn't help but feel lost. I felt all out of sorts and I couldn't understand why, in fact it was worse than it had been before I had met the Doctor. It was so bad that I was having trouble focusing. On the way home I got on the wrong bus, twice. Something was nagging at my consciousness, keeping me from thinking clearing.

_The Doctor._

The weird stranger I had met ... The man who for a brief moment made me feel complete. With an exasperated groan, I was suddenly happy no one could read my thoughts because I must sound absolutely mad, I had only been with him an hour! There was no way I could form any sort of feeling or attachment to any person in that short amount of time.

The sudden feeling of my backside vibrating brought me out of my thoughts. Realizing I was sitting on my phone I quickly grabbed my vest from under me and dug the phone from one of the pockets.

-"Hello?"

-"Clara Oswald! I should have you strung up naked and flogged!" Lara's shrill voice filled my ear with her scream. Damn. I had forgotten about her. "Do you know what I have done for the last three hours?"

I was almost afraid to ask, but as the silence stretched out, I knew she was waiting for my reply.

-"What?" I croaked out.

-"Sitting in that bloody shop security office, answering questions about you and your accomplice!" She yelled. I flinched, wishing I had remembered my best friend. "When they finally let me go, I spent the rest of the time looking for you, because I knew you didn't know that man, and thought you might have been kidnapped or bloody murdered! I called your mobile a hundred times and you never answered! I was worried sick about you!"

-"I'm so sorry, Lara -"

-"You better be bloody sorry because I am at your door and I think I might just murder you!"

The sharp, angry knock resounded through the apartment. I quickly stood and rushed to the door to let Lara in, deciding it was best to not make her wait with the mood she was in. When I opened the door, her murderous gaze locked onto me.

-"How could you just leave me like that?" She stormed inside, shoving her mobile in her purse.

-"I - I forgot." I shut the door and did everything I could to avoid looking at her.

-"Seriously? You forgot?!" She stomped to the kitchen and grabbed the half full bottle of wine from the refrigerator. Popping the cork angrily she took a long drink straight from the bottle and came back out to the living room. "You are lucky you are my best friend or I would never talk to you again." She snapped, sitting on the couch.

I said nothing, giving Lara a couple of minutes to cool off, and went to the kitchen to grab two wine glasses. I understood why she was so upset and frankly I couldn't blame her. But I really didn't have a valid excuse to give her. When I came back out, Lara had downed a quarter of the bottle; I offered her a glass with a small peace offering smile. Reluctantly, she poured some wine in my glass than hers.

I sat down next to her and waited for the question I knew she was going to ask. Lara didn't disappoint, she asked as soon as I was seated.

-"Who was that man?"

-"I have no idea ..." I took a small sip from the glass, letting the tart, fruity taste linger in my mouth for a moment before swallowing.

Lara was silent for several minutes before speaking again.

-"You just took off with him." It was more of a statement then a question. But I felt the need to nod in acknowledgment. "What happened after you two ran?"

-"I don't know ..." I shrugged, "nothing, we just ran ..." I paused as the memories flooded back to me and basked in the feeling that for that brief instant everything had made sense in my life. "We ran down Oxford Street and turned down an alley after we lost the guards. He said thanks for saving him and he just left." I finished crisply.

Lara's eyebrow quirked at the sound of bitterness in my voice.

-"So you didn't know him?"

-"No, he said his name was the Doctor ... and that was it."

-"A doctor eh?" Lara took a long drink from her glass. "Well the world needs more doctors like him because he was certainly gorgeous to look at." Glancing at Lara, we both burst out laughing. This is why I loved her so much, she always forgave me. Once our laughter died down though, Lara grew serious once more. "When you ran with him, with your doctor ..." She paused as if searching for the right words. "It was like ... your face, it was pure bliss, and you looked at him like he was the world, Clara. Like you had found home."

Her statement shocked me. Mostly because he had felt like home, but I had not expected anyone on the outside to have noticed.

-"When I saw him ... when I touched him ... It was like I was meant to be there, by his side." I whispered, staring into the glass of red wine.

-"Then he must be the one you been waiting for." She said firmly.

I glanced at Lara, wondering if she was right.

**oOo**

The next morning came much too soon. It felt like I collapsed into bed only to have my alarm start screeching. I crawled from beneath my covers, blurry eyed and cotton mouthed. Lara had ended up sleeping on my couch since we had finished the rest of the wine and neither one of us were in any shape to do anything but go to bed. I wasn't a big drinker so it hadn't taken much to get me tipsy.

Unfortunately though the alcohol did nothing to help me relax and even after Lara had turned in I had not gone to sleep. Thoughts of the Doctor had kept me up half the night and when I had finally convinced myself to forget him because I probably would never see him again, the sun had started to rise.

I quickly got in the shower and turned the water on as hot as it would go, letting it rain over me until it burned and made me hiss with pain. I eased the cold water on and the temperature reached a relaxing point. I tried to wash away the long night I had just had. It's not like the Doctor and I had exchange numbers or anything of the sorts. London was a huge city, there was no way I would ever see him again. But why did this one man make me feel like I had to see him again, as if my life depended on it?

When my skin was sufficiently pruned, I was no closer to answers but I really had to get to class, so I got out and toweled off. I dressed in a cute little blue Skater Dress along with a light blue blazer that matched and hurried off to class before I ended up missing the whole thing.

**~8~**

I rushed on campus to my advance calculus class, which I despised and was struggling with. I passed several loitering students, all busy texting or on laptops and tablets, which gave me the idea to try and search up the Doctor on the internet later, I had to learn more about this man who I could not forget.

Arriving at the classroom I took a deep breath before entering. This professor was a stickler and he hated tardy people. He always enjoyed humiliating his students for being late. I mentally braced myself for the coming onslaught, and rushed inside the room. I did a quick scan, keeping my head low and spotted an open desk immediately, with my head down, I tiptoed my way in, as if that would somehow keep me hidden from view.

-"Right then, I see everyone is here." The stern voice echoed.

I froze. It was not the monotone, droning voice of my professor. I slowly looked up and my jaw dropped. There, leaning lazily against the desk at the front of the class was the most enigmatic man I had ever met. His eyes locked on mine and he gave me a cocky grin.

-"I'm the Doctor, and I am replacing your last professor ... just for the day. Apparently someone gave him an impossible equation to solve, and now he won't leave his office until he solves it." The Doctor nonchalantly scratched his chin. "I will give him the right answer later, but for now; let's just have some fun shall we!"

I sat down, stunned. _How had he gotten in here?_ The Doctor grabbed one of the volumes from the desk and opened the large book to the middle. His nose crinkled, and his eyes squinted as if what he saw was distasteful. He then dug into his blue blazer and pulled out a pair of glasses which he slipped onto his nose.

-"Right, then, let's see ..." He flipped through the book with displeasure and after a few moments he shut it with a loud clap and tossed it back on the desk. "So if you are traveling at four times the speed of light and your oscillating modulator is broken, where is the best place to stop?" The Doctor paused. "No wait ... early twenty-first century earth, no space travel yet ... Scratch that."

I watched him curiously as he had continued this argument with himself on what to do next, but after a few minutes I felt my mind start to drift.

_There was something I was supposed to do ... what was it?_

-"Miss, Oswald?"

The sound of my name being called brought me back. I quickly blinked and looked around the now empty classroom.

-"Welcome back!" The Doctor was crouched in front of my desk.

I groaned and wished the earth would swallow me up.

-"I did it again ... How long ...?"

-"Oh not to long ... I dismissed everyone early, I forgot how dull regular early twenty-first century mathematics was."

I furrowed my brow at his odd comment.

-"You say some of the oddest things ..."

He grinned widely as if that comment pleased him.

I tried to ignore the butterfly feeling in the pit of my stomach of being within close proximity of the Doctor again, but it was rather hard when those butterflies felt more like a herd of elephants trampling around. What was it about this man?

-"How can you be teaching this class?" I suddenly blurred out.

That question made his face grow serious. He stood up and straightened his jacket.

-"Why don't we go for a walk." He offered.

Outside, it was an unseasonably warm day. Students all over campus were enjoying the early spring weather; some were lounging on the large grassy area, sunbathing, while others were tossing a rugby ball back and forth. The air was filled with the exciting chatter of students and the call of birds. Several happy couples walked by us, holding hands or arm in arm with each other. Spring was definitely in the air.

The Doctor and I silently strolled down the well-worn path until it became less crowded and only the sound of our feet crunching over the gravel was left around us.

-"Clara ... Yesterday you saved my life."

I turned my head slightly over to look at the Doctor and nodded.

-"I really am thankful for that ... Usually I am not so distracted, and when I am I typically have this woman with me, Donna ... she watches me back." The Doctor awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. I wasn't quite sure where this was going, or why he telling me about his girlfriend ... "But see the man who pushed me ... the whole thing felt ... well off." He stopped walking and grabbed my arm. "I don't think that was ever meant to happen, me being pushed, and I somehow think you are connected to this."

I looked at him strangely.

-"What do you mean? I don't understand ..."

-"I don't really understand either, but when I look at you, Clara Oswald, it's like I am supposed to know you, like I do know you, but I can't remember it for some reason." He rubbed his tousled hair as if that would somehow help him remember. "I looked into you, and you don't make sense."

-"I'm sorry?"

-"You are studying Astronomy, but you are terrible at mathematics and physics, how are you even still in this program? You have no family, it's like they never existed, there are no records, well there is of your mother and father dying years ago, but nothing makes sense about it." His grip got tighter on my arm. "So who are you Clara?"

I suddenly felt fear creep down my spine. This was such a turn of emotions for him, he had been so nice and now ... Anger blazed in his eyes.

-"I have no idea what you are talking about!" My voice climbing in panic.

The Doctor leaned in closer to me, so close that his chest touched mine, and all my senses came alive. He stared at me and we both remained unmoving for several minutes.

-"Doctor!"

His named being called from behind us made us both look in that direction.

-"Doctor!" A woman yelled, jogging towards us.

She stopped a couple of feet from us, panting hard.

-"I saw him, he walked on the campus a few minutes ago and headed straight for the science department."

-"Excellent!" The Doctor let go of my arm and clapped his hand together. "Now it's time to get some answers." He started to walk back the way we came leaving me standing there gaping at him. "Come on, Donna, Clara." He ordered without turning.

I could easily just walk the other direction. Ignore him and just walk away from everything. His strange mood swings and accusation were almost too much for me. It was obvious this man had some sort of mental instability or something going on.

_I should just go. Turn around and go home._

But I didn't. I turned and blinded followed the Doctor. The woman called Donna fell into step next to me, while the Doctor was several feet ahead of us.

-"I bet I know what is going through your head right now." She said in a low tone.

-"Oh I don't know about that ..."

Donna grinned.

-"Oh I know ... Because I been in your shoes." She glanced at the Doctor then back at me. "You are telling yourself you must be mad to follow this strange man, to want to follow him without questions. You think he is the biggest nutter you have met, and that there is something wrong with you for still wanting to follow him."

Taken aback that she was practically dead right, my eyes involuntary moved to the Doctor's back. Donna let out a sharp laugh.

-"I've been there, oh hell. I still ask myself that same question every day!" She smiled fondly at the Doctor's back. "He might not seem like it right now, but he is the most brilliant man you will ever met, and I would do anything for him."

-"You must love him very much."

-"Oh I do ..." Donna looked at me and shook her head. "Not like that!" She playfully slapped my arm. "We aren't like that. He isn't my type at all."

I nodded wanting to believe Donna. But truth is, I would have followed the Doctor without Donna's encouraging words, this man was something to me and I had to know what. We soon arrived at the science building where we had just been for my calculus class.

-"What exactly are we doing?" I asked Donna.

The Doctor had abruptly stopped walking and turned to us. He answered the question I had asked Donna.

-"The man who pushed me is here. I had Donna watching for him, I knew he'd show up here."

-"What? Why?" I asked panicked.

But the answer didn't come from the Doctor.

-"To look for you, of course, Clara. I should have expected you would be here."

We all turned to face the man who I had seen push the Doctor yesterday. He still wore his dark Victorian clothes, which looked a bit ridiculous, but it took away nothing from his hate filled expression and managing glare.

-"How - how do you know me?"

He took a step closer but the Doctor quickly moved in front of me, putting himself between the stranger and me.

-"Who are you?" The Doctor demanded.

But the creepy man ignored him.

-"You have been ruining every chance I get to change his past." He pointed to the Doctor. "I will not fail again; you have gotten in my way for the last time, Clara Oswald." He raised a gun which was aimed at me. "My name is Walter Simeon and I am the Great Intelligence." He gave us a sinister, "and I am the one that brings down the last Time Lord!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you so much for all the follow/favorites. Frankly I wasn't expecting anyone to really read this, so this is really a great surprise that others actually might like this! (yeah I know I am the forever pessimists.)**

**So yes, just a quite author's note to say thank you so much, and please don't be shy, leave me a comment with some thoughts. I do promise to update regularly. Expect an update every week to week and half. :)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Strange Memories

**Chapter 3**

**Strange Memories**

There are certain moments in our lives that it feels like you are watching them from the outside. It's almost like an out-of-body experience. It's also one of those moments where everything is done on instinct, practically like it was manually engraved into you. I think it's what separated the people who are good in a crisis and those who just crumble under pressure. I always thought I would be one of those that would run and hide. But I was dead wrong. It turned out I was braver then I ever gave myself credit.

-"Impossible!" The Doctor spat at the man who called himself Walter. "The last time I saw you ..." The Doctor trailed off as if the memory of the past were too awful to remember.

-"Oh but it's very possible my good Doctor." Simeon grinned, still holding his gun, pointed at both the Doctor and I.

I had never seen either men in my life, yesterday had been the first time. Yet being near both Simeon and the Doctor at the same time made my whole body hum with excitement. It was almost as if this had happened once before. The Doctor and I standing in front of Simeon. Every instinct inside of me screamed to protect the Doctor, whatever I do just protect the Doctor ... at whatever cost.

Those words echoed through my head. _At whatever cost_.

-"Why now? Why are you back here, now?" The Doctor demanded.

-"I think I preferred your other regeneration Doctor, you were much cleverer." Simeon said in a bored tone.

The Doctor and the insane Victorian man exchange words back and forth, but I paid little attention. My mind was a whirlwind of strange thoughts and images. Pictures of me with a man who I loved and had to protect. The Doctor.

_My Doctor_.

As those two words floated through my brain, a strange hallucination clouded my vision.

_I stood in front of a bright light. It shined red and sparkled brightly. I glanced at the man lying on the ground._

_-"If this works, get out of here as fast as you can. And spare me a thought now and then."_

_-"No, Clara." He twisted his head in my direction. His gaze was clouded with pain and sorrow, but I knew he saw me, his sad gaze begging me to stop. I ignored his plea._

_-"In fact, you know what? Run. Run, you clever boy, and remember me."_

_-"No. Clara!" He screamed loudly for me, but it was too late._

_Nothing would stop me. I had to save him, my Doctor. I bravely stepped into the time stream, and everything went black._

With a gasp I blinked several times, and looked around. I was back. Actually I had never left ... I stood outside with the Doctor who was a few inches in front of me. Simeon still had his gun pointed at us.

At that very moment, I knew what I had to do. My hand cautiously slipped into my blazer pocket and I felt the familiar small can of mace Lara had insisted I carry everywhere with me.

_-"Single women in the city need to protect themselves, Clara. You never know when know when you will need it." Lara had said the day I had gotten my own place._

Suddenly glad I had followed her advice; my hand tightly squeezed the cool can. I knew what I had to do.

-"How long have you been in that poor man's body, Yog-Sothoth." The Doctor asked.

-"Walter Simeon was nothing without me!" He shouted, obviously getting annoyed with the Doctor.

As both men went back and forth, it gave me the perfect chance to side-step around the Doctor without him noticing and by the time he did, I was too far for him to grab me.

-"Clara!" He shouted, much like the man in that weird vision had done, but I ignored him and the confused feelings it brought to me.

I slowly walked toward Simeon as he watched me cautiously and aimed the gun right at my chest.

-"You said you knew me." I stopped several feet away from him; in fact I was exactly at the mid-point between the Doctor and Simeon. "How do you know me? I have never seen you before."

Simeon seemed perplexed for a moment, but he then let out a hearty laugh.

-"Oh, this is rich!" He cackled. "You always remember me, and you always remember him." He spat the last part swinging his gun towards the Doctor for a moment, before aiming at me again. "I have chased him for the last ten regenerations, and you always know."

-"Okay, well I am a little slow so explain it to me." I took two small steps towards him. I needed to be at least six feet from him for this can of mace to hit him.

-"Clara! For Gallifrey sake!" I heard the Doctor start to come towards me.

Simeon turned his hate filled gaze towards the Doctor.

-"Do not move Doctor, or I will shoot her before you can even blink!" Simeon shouted.

-"She has nothing to do with this! Let her go, please, she doesn't know what she is doing." The Doctor begged.

-"Oh, I beg to differ. Isn't that right Clara? You came after me, and you were torn into a million pieces, copies of you all over the universe, just to save him. But he never notices you ... or at least not until this one." Simeon gave a devious grin that made my skin crawl. "An interesting turn of events ... I might just want to keep you both around a bit longer to see what happens."

-"Clara is from my future?" The Doctor asked, now as curious in what Simeon had to say as I was.

But Simeon never could answer because he had forgotten one thing. Donna. Out of nowhere the feisty redhead came charging from behind him with a long stick. She swung and hit him dead on in between the shoulder blades. Simeon crumbled to the ground with a groan and seconds later I felt the Doctor's warm hand grab my free hand.

-"Come on!" He shouted.

Donna blew by us, running like a woman on fire.

-"Good work Donna!" The Doctor called.

-"Well someone has to save your behind, spaceman!" She shouted back.

The Doctor chuckled and pulled me with him. I wanted to ask how they could joke at a time like this, but everything Simeon had said was swirling inside my head like a group of angry bees.

What had Walter Simeon meant, I had gone after him and I had been scattered through the universe? The vision I had ... I entered this light which had been a doorway and I disappeared, was that what Simeon was talking about?

**oOo**

I blindly ran with the Doctor, not paying attention to where he was leading me, until he came to a dead stop and I crashed right into him.

-"Oof..." I gasped as my chest ram into his hard back.

The Doctor quickly spun around and put his hands on each of my arm to steady me. My eyes jetted to his face and I immediately felt myself flush. There was just something about the way he looked at me that made me feel like I was special ... as if I actually mattered to him.

-"You alright there, Clara?" He asked looking down at me briefly. I managed to give a weak nod and to my dismay he turned to Donna. "We need to find out more on how Simeon's got here. He is part of the great old ones; he can't travel without the help of a body, so he must have a ship or something ..."

-"The great old ones? I take it you knew this guy at some point." Donna asked curiously, trying to catch her breath.

-"The Great Intelligence is what he calls himself now ... His name was Yog-Sothoth and he was part of an ancient civilization ... his kind evolved over thousands of years until they moved to another dimension where they became formless, shapeless ... things, floating out in space like a cloud of mist, only with a mind and will. It's like a mind parasite; it locks onto a host and uses its body."

-"So it possesses a person?" I asked, trying to keep up with this very strange conversation.

The Doctor looked down at me and a small flash of delight flared in his eyes at my statement.

-"Yes." He nodded.

-"That's awful ... so that man, he probably doesn't even know what is happening to him?" I thought out loud.

-"Well ... I don't know, the human isn't my biggest concern ... Simeon's seems to know more about all this then we do, and I don't like that at all." The Doctor brow knitted together in a worrisome crease.

-"Well then, we should get to work and find out exactly what he wants." Donna said excitedly from behind me. "That is if you two can keep your hands off each other."

The Doctor was still clutching on tightly to my arms. His fingers curled into the fabric of my blazer. I awkwardly shifted on my feet and the Doctor cleared his throat. I let out an embarrass laugh as his hands dropped from my arm.

Donna snickered.

After the Doctor let me go, I got a good look at where we had ended up. We were not far from the University; actually we were still on campus, but on the other side near where the gyms were located. The small alleyway we had gone down was deserted except for one of those old retro, blue phone boxes.

-"Yes ... well, then ..." The Doctor turned to the phone box, obviously uncomfortable and dug a key from his jacket. "I am sure that Simeon's will be laid out for a while but just to be safe I should probably move this," he patted the phone box affectionately, "further out of the way, before we do anything."

I furrowed my brow at his strange statement. _Was he leaving? _There was no way in hell he was going to leave me when I had a million questions to ask him.

-"I really think that you both need to answer some of my questions." I ran in front of the box's door, blocking the way. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the Doctor.

The Doctor paused his key in midair.

-"I could ask you the same thing."

-"I'm sorry?"

His face was grim as his sobering stare met mine. The Doctor seemed to be having some sort of inner struggle on what to say next, but that only made my annoyance grow. My temper finally snapped.

-"Listen, I have no idea who you are, and who that lunatic was back there, but I want no part of this craziness. All I did was pull you back from being hit by a bus! That is all!" My breathing got heavier. All my anger and frustration had bubbled out and now the Doctor was the recipient of it all. My heart was slamming hard in my chest. "You tell me I don't make sense, then that crazy man rants on about how I am just some sort of copy! You and Donna are going on about possessed people ... And to top it off I got this weird vision, I cannot handle this!" I raised my arms in the air, exasperated.

-"Weird vision?"

Donna delicately cleared her throat and reached for the Doctor's key he still had in his hand.

-"Yes, well, I will leave you two to work this all out." She scooted by me and unlocked the phone box door. She slipped inside without another word...

But I paid no attention to her, and the Doctor wasn't either. His hard gaze bore into me, making me feel quite uncomfortable.

-"What vision, Clara?" He firmly asked again.

-"It was nothing ..."

But the Doctor obviously didn't agree that it was nothing. He put his hand firmly on my arm. I felt the warmth of his hands through my blazer, and despite it being warm out, I felt my skin goose bump at his touch.

-"I have something to show you." His tone was a bit softer this time.

I didn't answer but just gave a slow nod, unsure what brought on this sudden change. The Doctor smiled and pointed at the phone box.

-"It's an old phone box ..." I sighed, my patience wearing thin.

-"Oiy, it's not just some old phone box. Why don't you step inside and look."

I gave him a skeptical look.

-"You want me to go in there?" That's when it dawned on me. "Donna is there ..." I gasped. "You pervert!" I slapped him hard in the arm and he recoiled shocked. "Whatever sick games you and her are into, I will not take part of!"

-"Hey!" The Doctor flinched but I didn't miss the amusement flicker in his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous! Just open the door!"

The Doctor moved to my side looking at me expectantly. _Fine, whatever, let me open the door so he can get his jollies and then I can go home._ I reached out and pushed on the wood door, which opened with a small familiar creak. When it was widely opened I took a step forward, then another.

The box beckoned me to come in. I only stopped once both my feet were inside.

-"Oh my gosh ..." I whispered flabbergasted.

The Doctor walked in behind me. I heard the door shut and he scooted by me, taking off his long brown coat and tossing it off to the side.

-"It's ... It's ..."

The Doctor turned towards me with a giant grin.

This couldn't be right! I ran back outside and looked up at the box. Maybe it was attached to the building? I quickly ran around, but soon saw that the phone box was not linked to anything. I made my way back to the door and hurried back inside for another look. The Doctor stood in the center near a big hexagon console. When I walked back inside he looked up at me with expectant smile.

-"It's smaller on the outside..."

The Doctor let out an unexpected loud laugh.

-"Yes, I supposed it is."

-"But ... I don't understand ... Who are you?"

-"I told you, I'm the Doctor, and this is my TARDIS." He said as if that should explain it all.

-"Time Lord." I recalled the words from earlier. "Simeon's called you a Time Lord." I cautiously walked up the ramp to the strange console in the middle.

-"Yes ..." He answered with a flinch as if admitting that caused him pain.

-"You are not human then?"

-"No, I'm a Time Lord, and I am nine hundred and forty years old."

-"Nine hundred ..." I choked out. Aliens, a box that was smaller on the outside ... "How can you be almost a thousand years old?" I asked the first question that popped into my mind.

The Doctor frowned and walked towards me, stopping inches from me, making me pause in my inspection.

-"And an alien." He said with humor.

-"But you don't look nine hundred and forty ..." My eyes roamed his young face that didn't look any older than in its early thirties.

He shrugged as if living that long was ... normal, but his eyes said something else. There was such sadness in them that looking into them broke my heart. Before I could even realize what I was doing, my fingers gently glided down his cheek. The coarse hairs scratched at my fingertips. His gaze turned to surprise as he watched me.

-"It must get lonely ..." I whispered. His eyes flared with heat and I knew I was stepping on dangerous grounds, going somewhere I was definitely not prepared for. I quickly pulled my hand away and turned to my focus onto the inside of the TARDIS.

It was a large room which was basked in a greenish glow from all the lights. The central console made a low humming sound and lights blinked everywhere. But even as strange and out of this world all this seemed, it all felt so familiar. How could that even make sense? The Doctor was still standing so close to me that I could smell his comforting scent. His eyes always watching and seeking, never missing a thing.

-"So you fly this thing around and what? Save the world from monsters?" I tried to fill the uncomfortable silence.

-"Sometimes." He replied and leaned in closer to me, as if he were inspecting something on my face.

-"Many people have walked through those doors, all of them with different reactions." His tone was low. "But never have I ever met someone who seemed ... well ... indifferent." He almost sounded insulted.

-"I'm sorry ... It's really quite amazing ..." I trailed off, unsure why I suddenly had the worse Déjà vu feeling.

-"It's almost like you have seen it before." The Doctor mumbled, as if he were reading my thoughts.

I wanted to ask him to repeat that, but suddenly like a bolt of lightning had hit me, my whole body became rigid and I remembered the vision from earlier. Not so much what happened but where I had been in the dream ... it almost looked like this. It had slight differences; the place in my vision looked old, deteriorated. It appeared that a battle had taken place, but the feel of the place ... it felt like this.

-"Clara?" I opened my eyes to find myself lying on the ground, slightly propped up on the Doctor lap. When he noticed my eyes open he gave me a bright smile. "Clara, hi."

-"What happened?" I groaned.

-"You just sort of fainted."

I frowned and quickly recalled the memory that had come back again. Memory. Was that what this was? Unable to control myself my whole body started to shake and a sob escaped my lips.

-"I don't understand ... what is happening to me?"

-"I'm not sure ... but I think you are remembering." The Doctor said quietly.

-"Remembering what?" I whispered.

-"I don't know ..." I looked up at the Doctor, in his big sad eyes and I knew he was lying.

-"I don't believe you." I countered, suddenly feeling better.

He squeezed my hand, and my breath caught in my throat.

-"Clara, I'm a time traveler, I don't understand everything that happens, and unfortunately things don't always happen in the right order ... But according to Simeon you are from my future, somehow ..."

-"That makes no sense at all!" I quickly scrambled to my feet, I needed to put some distance between him and I, I couldn't think straight. "We just met." I started to pace. "If we just met, how can I be from your future?" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

-"It's best if you don't think about it to hard ..." Donna's voice suddenly appeared from a doorway. She gave me a sympathetic smile. "You could go mad trying to understand some of the things he says and lives through, sometimes it's best to just go with it."

The Doctor gave Donna an annoyed look but said nothing. He stood and straightened his blue blazer with red pinstripes. His eyes narrowed on me.

-"I just feel like I should know who you are!" He groaned frustrated, running his hand roughly through his hair. "But for now ... we will have to wait ..." He trailed off.

I nodded. He was right, there was nothing neither one of us could do. But waiting patiently was not one of my qualities...

-"Okay, so now what?"

The Doctor grinned and ran to the console. He started pressing buttons and pulling levers.

-"Well Simeon will come after you. For whatever reason he seems to think you are a bigger threat then I am right now." He stopped moving for a moment and tilted his head to the side. "That's never happened before." He quickly shrugged and resumed his erratic button pushing. "So you just need to hide for a while, and I will figure out what he is up too."

-"So I am supposed to just sit here and wait?"

-"Well ..."

-"No way!" I cried.

The Doctor seemed pensive for a moment but then his face broke into a giant grin.

-"We could go somewhere." He walked around the console and pressed another couple of buttons.

-"Where?"

-"I want to show you something special."

-"Oh ..." I watched him skeptically but the giant smile on his face was rather contagious and I soon found myself smiling with him. "Okay ..."

-"We'll be limited on time though." He glanced up at one of the screens as if he was checking the time. "We have to return here in a few hours."

I walked closer to him, letting my fingers glide along the console, feeling the cool metal under my fingers.

-"Where are we going?"

-"Not where ... when!" The Doctor's face lit up even more as he pressed a last button and turned to me.

I swallowed hard.

-"When?" I croaked out, feeling my heart skip a beat.

He closed the distance between us.

-"1718." To my surprise he brushed my cheek with his knuckles. "That is when we are going, Clara Oswald."

My mouth fell open; I then snapped it shut as I shook my head disbelief.

-"What is in 1718?" I asked, trying to keep myself together. But as those words left my lips this sudden surge of excitement went through me.

-"A friend of mine I want you to meet."

The excitement buzz bubbled over and I could not contain it any longer.

-"I should pack, do I need to pack? I should get my passport ..." I spoke a mile a minute as I pushed away from him to get to the door but he pulled me back so suddenly that I slammed hard into his chest. My hands few to his blazer lapel and our eyes locked on each other.

-"We leave now."

With that he reached to my side and pushed down on a lever. The engines powered up, the floor started to shake and the most peculiar sound filled the air. The Doctor smirked, "Allons-y!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading this third chapter to my little story. I cannot express how much I appreciate all the support. All the reviews and follows/favorites are a great boost! So thank you! A million thanks!**

**This chapter wasn't all that exciting and I been rather anxious on releasing it, but here it is. I do promise something much more exciting for the next one :)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Trust Me

**Chapter 4**

**Trust Me**

The engine loudly wheezed and groaned. The TARDIS shook and rattled violently and I started to fall to my left. I quickly caught myself on the side of the console only to be thrown to the right. Unable to hold on, my fingers slipped away from the console and I started to tumble backwards. I braced myself for the hard impact, but it never did come. Instead I felt a warm pair of hands grab onto me and pull me backwards.

The Doctor pulled me into his arms and against his chest. His hands locked down around my waist, holding me steady against him. I gasped in surprise. His breathing was fast and stirred the hair by my temple. His chest moved against my back with each breath he took. He held me steady until the TARDIS came to a stop minutes later. The engine slowly quieted and powered down.

-"Bloody hell, that was rough!" Donna cried from the other side of the console. "It was worse than usual."

To my dismay the Doctor drops his arms from around me and rushed to the monitor.

-"It was ... I am not sure why ..." He gave a worried look at the long tube which was located in the middle of the console. "It's like she didn't want to leave." He patted the cool metal of the TARDIS affectionately.

I watched him curiously petting the machine just as Donna come up beside me.

-"He does that a lot ..." She whispered with humor. "He might be an all-powerful Time Lord, but when it comes to the TARDIS he is a typical man with his machine."

I let out a loud laugh and the Doctor glanced at us with a reprimanding look for a moment, but it didn't last. Seconds later he clapped his hands together and like an excited child on Christmas morning he rushed to the doors.

-"Are you ready?" He slipped on his long brown jacket and turned towards me.

I took a few cautious steps towards him.

-"Are you telling me that we are now in 1718?"

His face broke into a mischievous grin.

-"Well ... why don't you open the door and find out."

I gave him a skeptical look. Okay, I could believe in strange aliens that look like a regular man. Outer space men that possessed people, plausible. I could even believe that somehow this strange, but beautiful man was somehow connected to me, but time travel ... that was a bit of a stretch.

-"Come on now." The Doctor beckoned.

I walked to the door and put my hand around the door handle, only to discover my hand was actually shaking. I was nervous on what I might find on the other side of that door, but the thrill of the possibility that I might actually be over two hundred years in the past was unable to deny.

I opened the door and blinked as brightly lit candles shun, the light reflected off the gold-colored walls. I took two steps out and stopped short absolutely blown away. I felt the Doctor brush behind me and come stand beside me. I was flabbergasted by the sights. My eyes roamed the walls and ceiling which were all painted in different scenery and all of it was outlined with gleaming gold-leaf stucco. The candles glowed in the golden wall sconces and from three ornate chandeliers. Antique furniture was clustered around an enormous fireplace with a marble mantelpiece.

I looked down to see that my feet were planted on a polished wood floor. Where ever, or when this was, it sure wasn't the London I knew.

-"Wow." I whispered. The Doctor chuckled. "Are we still in London?" I whispered watching the Doctor stroll towards some French doors and open them to reveal a vast garden and the lovely sweet scent of jasmine and lilies wafted in.

-"We are in Bath, which is the place all Londoners go to during the hot summer months when parliament is not in session."

In a daze I slowly advance next to him to get a better look outside. It was night outside and we were on the second floor of someone's home. The garden below was amazing to look at. Countless flowers and bushes clustered together along a small path. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. Completely astounded I turned to the Doctor. His eyes were hooded and focused on me, more specifically on my reaction. His lips curled into a small smile and his arm rose as if he was about to touch me.

-"Doctor?" The voice of a man from behind startled both of us and the Doctor's arm dropped like a stone as if he had just been caught doing a misdeed.

-"Edmond!" The Doctor quickly recuperated and his face broke into a grin.

He turned to the man and hurried over, clasping his hand in a sturdy handshake.

-"Oh my, Doctor! I certainly did not expect to see you; then again you do seem to turn up in the most peculiar time and places." Edmond chuckled and clutched his other hand over the Doctor's, trapping his hand affectionately. It was obvious who ever this Edmond was; he was very fond of the Doctor.

-"Well ... you know me." The Doctor smiled warmly. "I am mister Unexpected!"

Edmond chuckled.

-"That you are my friend, every time I see you, I get older and you stay the same, coming to see me with a new faces." The Doctor shifted uncomfortably as Edmond let go of his hand, but Edmond either didn't notice or care that his comment had distressed the Doctor.

_What did he mean new face?_

Edmond eyes turned to me. "But today you bring a friend with you." Edmond moved to me and extended his hand out. I reached to grab it in a handshake but he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips, he placed a quick kiss on my knuckles. "I am Edmond Halley."

Edmond Halley was a man in his sixties; he was a bit overweight and had a head of salt and pepper hair which was tied in a ponytail. He wore what I had always imagined a person of stature wore in the 1700s. He wore a mulberry-colored coat trimmed with bands of embroidery, which had many very fancy buttons and loops. Underneath he wore a pattered waistcoat, which was barely visible and under all that he had a white shirt with ruffles. I was suddenly very happy that men had outgrown those ridiculous fashion trends.

When Edmond had spoken, he had pronounced his last name _Haulley_, so it had taken me a moment to place the name. But with a gasp my eyes grew bigger and I gaped at the man in front of me.

-"Edmond Halley ... But that is not possible!"

Edmond released my hand with a mischievous smile.

-"I am surprise that I am the subject of talk among the young and beautiful women." He teased.

-"But you are Edmond Halley ... you discovered Halley's Comet!"

The Doctor rushed to my side and gave me a hard nudge as Edmond's face it up.

-"Well, alleged comet." The Doctor quickly piped in. He then leaned in close to my ear. "He believes the comet will come back every seventy-five years but he will not live to see it return so he never does find out if his theory was correct or not."

I gave the Doctor a pointed look that said,_ warn a girl next time_, and quickly turned back to Edmond who was watching with us with some interest.

-"I'm Clara by the way." I said thinking fast.

-"It is a pleasure of meeting you Clara." Edmond grinned and winked.

**oOo**

Donna soon joined us and once introductions were all out of the way, Edmond had summoned for tea.

We were all seated on the lovely terrace outside. You could hardly tell it was night, thanks to all the candles that surrounded us and the bright moon that hung in the sky. But the beauty of the moment was lost on me. I wasn't to sure how things had gotten so strange so quickly in my life. One moment I was in my advance calculus class and the next I was having tea in the middle of the night in 1718 with Edmond Halley.

Edmond and Donna were in deep conversation about the rights women did not have and as much as I wanted to keep up with it, my eyes kept wandering over to the Doctor. He had taken off his long brown jacket and had his long legs stretched out in front of him with his maroon converses casually crossed. Moments later his gaze met mine and instantly I felt that connection, that pull. How were we connected? His dark, mysterious eyes were fixed on mine. His expression was hard as if he was trying to understand me, his eyes were luring me in.

Edmond cleared his throat breaking the spell I seemed to have been under and I wondered how long the Doctor and I had stared at each other. A woman in her late forties was standing at the table with a large tray of tea and what looked like some digestive biscuits. We all busied ourselves with eating and drinking.

-"You didn't have to wake the house for us, Edmond." The Doctor said, giving the woman a brilliant smile and making her blush. I felt a stab of jealously but quickly dismissed the silly feeling.

-"This household has a day and night staff, Doctor. I am an astronomer; my work is done at night, so naturally I am up at night."

That of course made perfect sense. I had actually done several papers on Edmond Halley, so it was rather odd meeting the man I had often written about. I couldn't recall how many times I wished I could talk to the man, but now that I found myself in front of him, I couldn't think of a single thing to ask, so I blurted out the first thing that popped into my mind.

-"How did you two meet?" I asked suddenly wondering how the Doctor had even met this man.

Edmond smiled fondly.

-"It started with a secret."

-"A secret?" My curiosity piqued.

-"Edmond spotted the TARDIS in his telescope." The Doctor took a sip of his tea. "It was a mistake on my part ..."

-"At first I thought my wife had finally slipped something in my drink when I saw the blue box." Edmond chuckled. "But after closer inspection I deducted that it was indeed a flying box!"

-"Naturally I had to come down and straighten this out." The Doctor added.

-"Indeed. He tried to tell me I was seeing things, but there was no pulling the wool over my eyes." Edmond's expression became serious. "Soon after meeting the Doctor though, I realized the poor man needed a friend, so that is what I did, became his friend."

The Doctor stood up with speed and looked down at me.

-"Clara, let's go for a walk."

I nodded, knowing that he didn't want Edmond saying anymore. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in the Doctor's life that had upset him so much that Edmond had noticed and offered his friendship in exchange. But that seemed to be his thing.

The Doctor and his secrets.

**oOo**

Outside we walked down the same small path I had seen when we first arrived. The night air was warm, and the slight breeze did little to cool me down, but everything smelled so fresh and crisp, I didn't care I was hot and sweaty. The garden was alive with so many different types of flowers, and sadly I didn't know the name of a single one, all I knew was that they were all beautiful.

-"He has a lovely garden." I commented, trying to make conversation, not enjoying the sudden silence between us.

-"They belong to his wife, she has the green thumb." The Doctor stopped and plucked a large white flower from its stem. "A Casablanca Lily. It's quite rare but the most fragrant of flowers, one of the prettiest too if you ask me." He handed me the flower.

My fingers brushed against his and I felt that feeling again. I was so drawn to him. Not just mildly attracted but somehow irrevocably attached to him. It didn't make sense, but knowing that didn't make the strange feeling go away. My heart lurched up my throat as I grasp the flower and looked up at him. He was gorgeous. Strong, masculine, with the most beautiful brown eyes, and thick brown hair.

My skin tingled with goose bumps.

-"Thank you." I licked my lips, suddenly as nervous as a schoolgirl. His gaze dropped to my mouth, then back to my eyes.

-"Come on." He whispered hoarsely.

But I didn't want to go any further until the Doctor started to talk. I wanted to know why exactly we were here.

-"Why didn't you want Edmond to tell us what happened when you first met?"

-"We shouldn't discuss that in public." He glanced around to see if anyone might have overheard, but the gardens were of course deserted, except for a few servants that were not far.

-"We could go into the woods." I motioned to the trees not far from the garden. Not giving him time to consider it, I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the edge. "Come on, tell me." I nudged him as we reached the opening in the white picket fence. The moon was full and was so bright in the sky that no lights were needed. "So why didn't you want Edmond to tell us, are you embarrassed?" I asked, teasing.

-"Yes." He replied stonily.

My smile faded, suddenly feeling bad for bringing up something he felt uncomfortable with. I stopped suddenly.

-"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry ..." I made a face at my stupidity.

-"Clara, it's alright." He touched my arm. "It was at a hard time in my life ... I had done something ... unforgivable and Edmond listened."

I studied him, trying to decide if I should ask what it was. I bit my lip. I wanted to know more, I wanted to know everything, but something told me that being pushy would get me nowhere. So I tried a different question.

-"What did Edmond mean by you have different faces?" He hesitated. "Please, I know nothing about you ..." I said softly.

-"I'm a Time Lord ... We—I am different ... instead of dying I regenerate."

I noticed how he had changed the we to I, but I didn't say anything.

-"And that means you what? Grow a new body or something?"

He smiled.

-"Something like that. I change ... I become a different person, new face."

I returned his smile.

-"It doesn't sound so bad."

-"Its ..." He paused and was thoughtful for a moment. "It is –" He shrugged seeming unable to form the right words.

I turned to walk farther into the woods as I let his lack of words sink in. Sure immortality could be nice, but at what price? To not be yourself, to lose what made you, you ... I felt a surge of panic rise. The Doctor's regeneration sounded too much like what I feared was happening to me, that I was in fact just an echo, that I really was not alive.

-"I guess in a way it's not so great, you lose the person you are now ..." I finally said in a small voice.

-"Yeah ..." He sounded surprised with my summary.

The Doctor strolled beside me. The narrow path of hardened earth was flanked on each side with full-grown maple trees. Moonlight filtered through the green canopy of leaves, dappling the ground with little dots of light. I slowed to a stop.

-"It's pretty here."

-"Yes." He turned to face me.

-"Very pretty."

I blushed. He tilted his head, studying me.

-"You seem to be okay with everything, the TARDIS, traveling to the past ... It would freak most people out."

-"I suppose so." I gazed up at the tree branches. "But I'm not a stranger to weirdness. I spent my life feeling like I am waiting ... Now I am actually living and it's a good feeling."

He ran a hand through his hair. I slanted him an apologetic look.

-"Now you're probably thinking I'm crazy. But I'm really not ... I just been different my whole life. My mother used to tell me it's because I was here to do great things, but after she died ... It got harder to remind myself of those words."

-"I'm sorry." The Doctor touched me arm. "How old were you when you lost your mother?"

-"Seven." I inhaled sharply at the old memories.

He slid his hand up my arm to the short sleeve of my dress.

-"Where did you grow up?"

-"In the outskirts of London."

His hand reached my shoulder.

-"Where are you from Doctor?"

-"A planet called Gallifrey." He frowned. "But it's gone now ... Gallifrey, the Time Lords, they are all gone."

I gasped and jumped back as I felt his cool fingers on my skin. He had lost everyone?

-"What happened?"

-"War." Was all he said.

-"I'm sorry ..." I whispered, seeing the pain that little word brought him.

With a sad smile he sighed.

-"It was long ago."

As I watched him, I was suddenly overtaken with this overwhelming feelings that I had this conversation before. The feeling was paralyzing as an image of myself flashed into my mind. It was me, but it wasn't me. I was speaking to a man. I couldn't see his face but I knew it was the Doctor.

The image was gone seconds later and I did my best to keep my breathing seem regular and act normal.

-"You lost everyone." I gasped as the feelings were overtaking me. I wasn't sure where these images were coming from but I somehow knew that he was the last of his kind, he was alone. I shuttered my head trying to shake those feelings away.

As nonchalantly as I could, I started to walk again, not ready to share with him that I was having strange visions. I felt him watching me, frowning. If the Doctor noticed my odd behavior he said nothing. He rushed by my side to catch up.

-"Edmond told me there was waterfall around here. How about we try to find it?" He extended his hand towards me. I hesitated a moment but he wiggled his fingers, enticing me to take it. I then placed my hand in his.

-"All right." I nodded, all too anxious to leave those eerie images behind.

He led me to the left.

-"I can hear the water over there."

-"With your super alien hearing?" I joked. I couldn't hear a thing except for our footsteps and my heart racing.

He glanced at me.

-"You don't hear it?"

-"No. And I can barely see." The moon had disappeared behind some clouds.

-"The clouds are covering the moon right now. But don't worry. I won't let you fall." He pointed to my left. "Big rock there."

I eased closer to him. After we had walked for a little while, the moon broke free from the clouds and shone down brightly. The grass around us glitter silver with dew. Ahead of us, the creek sparkled.

-"It's so pretty," I whispered.

-"Yes."

It was a beautiful spot, a perfect spot that you always imagined to share a moment with someone you loved.

-"But where is the waterfall?" I released his hand and strode upstream.

He followed me around the bend. The sound of the falls growing louder.

-"Be careful." He warned.

-"Look!" I pointed and glanced back at him, grinning. "I found it."

The Doctor smiled back. As far as waterfalls went, it was on the puny side, only about four feet high. But it was a lovely find and a bit unexpected.

-"There's a bench." I sat and gazed at the falls. "What a lovely spot."

-"Yes." The Doctor took a seat beside me.

-"I love the sound of waterfalls." I let out a laugh. "Who knew I'd be sitting near a waterfall in 1718 when I woke up this morning." I tilted my head back. "And look at all the stars. You never see them like this anymore ..."

-"No." He slipped an arm along the back of the bench. "You should see the stars on the planet Levithia." He smiled widely as if remembering. "The sky lights up with the most amazing blue and purple lights and as the sky grow even darker they turn a dark shade of green. They hold a festival every year in honor of the three moons."

-"It sounds ... breathtaking." I smiled as his eyes lit up with joy at the memories.

-"I will take you there ... when we resolve this whole mess with Simeon's." I frowned and the Doctor put his hand on my lap. "Don't worry Clara ... I will keep you safe."

-"It's not that ..."

-"Then what is it?"

I grimaced and exhaled loudly.

-"What if ... "I shut my eyes tightly. "What if Simeon's was telling the truth and I am just that a copy ..."

The Doctor was silent for some time, but when I dared to open my eyes and glanced at him, I was surprise to find his expression hard.

-"You are not a copy, Clara. You are real."

-"How do you know?" I whispered.

-"Because, I've seen so much ... and I know real when I see it, and you are real. Real to me." He said firmly, his thumb slowly stroking back and forth.

His passionate words hit me hard and I really wanted to believe them. I gazed up at the sky. I didn't feel like a copy, I felt real ... I had to be real. My eyes focused on the brightly lit sky.

-"Look! A falling star." I closed her eyes briefly, and then glanced at him. "Did you make a wish?"

-"I missed it." He said sadly. "You made a wish?"

I nodded, and then gave him a sly smile.

-"But I won't tell you. I can have secrets, too."

-"If you tell me, I could help you make it come true." He grinned coyly.

My smile faded at his kind words and I looked away.

-"Wishes don't always come true." The Doctor gazed at the sky seeming to consider my words. I was not foolish enough to believe that my wish would come true, wishing was for children. I knew that if you wanted something you had to work for it. Wishing was for fairytales. After a long moment his faraway stare was still fixed on the night sky. "You're deep in thought." I whispered to the Doctor.

-"It happens." He smiled. "About once a year."

I snorted.

-"What were you thinking that had you looking so forlorn?" I asked, taking a chance. I assumed he wouldn't answer.

-"I was thinking I would wish to love without regret."

I turned to face him, astonished at his sorrowful words.

-"I don't think you can live without at least a few regrets."

-"True. But I don't want to make the people I care about sad. It seems wherever I go –" He paused seeming to search for the right words. "I would wish that my love would bring them joy and not pain and heartache."

My eyes widened at the sadness in his wish. I touched his arm.

-"That is a wonderful wish."

He shrugged as if what he had said was of no importance. We were silent for a bit longer. I kept my hand on his arm, enjoying the feel of his blazer under my hand.

-"You know you can trust me right, Clara, that I wouldn't hurt you."

-"Of course." I smiled, but thought the statement was rather odd. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here alone with you." I watched the Doctor swallowing hard. "Am I supposed to be worried about you hurting me?" I asked quietly.

-"Clara" He dragged a hand through his hair. "I would never hurt you."

-"Strangely Doctor, I feel safe with you, even though I don't know you." I said simply.

-"I cannot understand this connection I feel to you." The Doctor suddenly jumped to his feet and strode to the edge of the creek.

I was trying hard to understand this man. Sure the odd connection between us was ... well weird, but the Doctor's bizarre questions and violent mood swings were a bit more disconcerting. Was he always this unpredictable? One moment he was a bit flirty and the next he seemed to be apologizing for things that were not his fault.

-Doctor?" I stood and walked toward him. "Are you all right?"

-"Yeah." He raked a hand through his hair.

-"I am sure there is an explanation for all this, right?" I patted his arm. "Maybe it's the universe trying to tell us something. Like I was supposed to save you from that bus."

-"There is more to it." He suddenly turned towards me and with a fierce look in his eyes he leaned closer to me. "Have you met anyone else that makes you feel this way?" My mouth fell open, unable to answer. He was so close, his scent so intoxicating that I could barely think straight.

I couldn't answer, I didn't need too. He answered his own question for me. "No, no, I'm the only one, aren't I?" My mouth snapped shut and I looked away, my face flushing. "You can feel it now, I know I can." He voice was rough and thick. "I am not even touching you and you can feel this pull."

I gulped.

-"I don't know why ..." My voice was strangled.

-"We could speculate." He touched my cheek and my skin burned where his fingers touched. He traced the line of my jaw, and then gently cupped my chin. "It could be instant attraction." My mouth parted slightly. "Or desire." He ran his thumb over my lower lip. I drew in a shaky breath. He lifted his hooded brown eyes to mine. "Or it could be something even stronger, a feeling that we were destined to meet, destined to be together."

My eyes searched his.

-"Do you really believe that?"

-"From the first moment I saw you in the street, I was drawn to you, Clara Oswald. I felt attached to you."

I felt my heart pounding hard in my chest at his words. My body leaned in closer to him until both our chests touched.

All of a sudden he just let go of my face with a loud, exaggerated gasp.

-"Ohhhh!" He shouted, making me jump. "Ohhh!" He backed away and ran his hands through his hair. "I have to go!" He turned away from me and as if he had a fire lit under him he started to run.

-"What?" I was so confused, what had just happened? "Doctor?"

-"I'll be back!" He turned around, walking backwards. "I remembered ... I have to talk to Edmond."

I watched him until he disappeared and with a sigh I turned back towards the waterfall.

-"My wish was about you," I whispered. "I wished that I could trust you, Doctor."

**oOo**

When I finally got back to the house, the Doctor and Edmond were nowhere to be found, but after arriving at the house one of the many servants had directed me to one of the bedrooms. The Doctor had told them I needed to rest.

So here I was, alone in this big bedroom, definitely not tired. I paced back and forth through the room, my mind racing. I thought the Doctor was going to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me! But instead he had taken off, as if he had not been affected by anything that had happened between us.

No, no, I was being ludicrous.

Because it was ridiculous to be this attracted to a man I'd just met the day before. The very same man who made me feel complete. As if I had waited to meet him since the day I had been put on this earth. That was absolute nonsense. Of course, after today, I would have to adjust my definition of nonsense.

Last night, I would have considered time travel a bunch of nonsense.

The Doctor expected me to just wait here? He obviously didn't know me well. Determined I left the room to go in search of the Doctor. After looking through several rooms on the ground floor and finding nothing I decided to go to the second floor and start my search from the TARDIS.

But when I got back to the same French doors that overlooked the garden, there was nothing there. To my horror, the TARDIS was gone.

The Doctor had abandoned me in 1718.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter was much longer then I had anticipated, but I really didn't want to break this one up.**

**Thank you to all who are reading this story. And a very HUGE thank you to those who are leaving me comments. You all really do keep this story alive by leaving a simple review; it's a wonderful moral boost!**

**A last note, I realized when I started this story, I put that this happened after the Fire of Pompeii, but after writing this chapter I realized that this needs to happen after The Planet of the Ood. So in 10th's timeline it happens after The Poison Sky.**

**Next chapter will be slightly different, I was planning on making those whole story from Clara's point of view but some insight in the Doctor's mind might be useful, so next chapter will have some of the Doctor's thoughts, but it will probably not be a regular thing. I will probably write that part in third person view to minimize the confusion.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Dreams and Nightmares

**Chapter 5**

**Dreams and Nightmares**

The Doctor rushed into his TARDIS. Not wasting a moment he put in the coordinates to where he wanted to go.

Before making a hasty departure he had found Edmond and told him he would be back soon. He needed Edmond to keep an eye on Clara and Donna. Not that either women needed taking care of.

He had taken Clara on a short walk in the hopes of discovering her secret. He was positive she was hiding something and he had every intention on finding out what it was, but something unexpected had happened while they were alone. He had almost lost himself in the moment. A very dangerous thing for him to do. He could not get involve with this woman. He refused to even go there again. He couldn't. His hearts could not handle another heartbreak.

_But where were his brain and those thoughts less than thirty minutes ago when he almost kissed her?_ He thought angrily.

He could not explain what it was about Clara. He had never met anyone that he felt connected too, as if his fate was somehow intertwining with hers. He was positive he had met her before, but where?

Angrily the Doctor pulled the TARDIS lever. The time machine powered up and he was off to see some old friends who had contacted him. They might be able to shine some light on this odd situation he was in as well.

He had gotten a message several days ago, but he had ignored it, because frankly he didn't want to deal with it, and he had no idea why the Ood wanted to see him, but after meeting Clara, he wondered if this was why the Ood were contacting him. The message had been relayed to him psychically and it simply said, "_You are needed on the planet of the Ood."_

The Doctor was not used to getting psychic messages and he had forgotten how much he didn't like them. Even though it was just a message that had traveled through time to find him, it was still invasive and he couldn't help but feel slightly violated. He has hung around humans too much.

In no time at all, the TARDIS landed with little effort on the planet of the Ood, which was located across the universe and in the fifty-first century. The Doctor quickly wondered why the TARDIS had given him such a problem earlier, but whatever the issue was, it seemed to have resolved itself.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, shut the door and glanced around. The planet didn't look much different from when he was last here. He inhaled deeply, letting the air infiltrate his lungs and his senses. Judging by the air mass and taste, it had been fifty years since he had been here.

Donna and he had last come to the planet of the Ood by pure accident. What had started as a simple tour had become a mission to save the Ood race who was enslaved by humans. But he and Donna had seen to it that the Ood were let free. He was now a friend of the Ood.

With a shiver he shrugged deeper into his jacket. The planet was engulfed in snow and ice, but none of that seemed to matter to the Ood.

-"You have come." The monotone voice came from behind him.

The Doctor turned to find the familiar face of an Ood he knew well.

-"Ood Sigma, I got your message." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets, trying to appear apathetic, when he felt anything but.

-"You should not have delayed."

-"Oiy, I was in the middle of something important."

-"The elders are waiting. You will come with me." The dreary Ood turned on its heels and led the way.

The Doctor followed until the Ood city appeared over the horizon in the frozen tundra.

-"Magnificent!" The Doctor breathed out at the sight of the carved buildings from the ice and stone. Ood Stigma merely shrugged. "Oh come on, that is amazing! You've achieved all this in how long?"

-"Seventy five years." Ood Sigma answered in his monotone voice.

-"Then we've got a problem." The Doctor started to grow worried. This definitely was not right. "This is too fast. Not just the city, but even the ability to call me. You reached me all the way back to the twenty-first century. Something is accelerating your species way beyond normal."

The Ood held its communication globe out.

-"The Mind of the Ood is troubled."

-"Why, what's happened?"

-"We see darkness."

The Doctor frowned.

-"What does that mean?"

-"Every night we see her, and then the darkness comes."

With a sigh the Doctor hoped the elder Ood would be a bit more enlightening. The Ood were a psychic race with no vocal cords, and as a result of human cruelty some of the Ood were fitted with a communicating device that allowed them to speak, but in order for that to work part of their brain had been removed. As a result communication was not always clear with them.

Ood Sigma led the Doctor to a large cave where a dozen Ood were gathered around a fire. The cave was lit up with candles and the air was thick with smoke of herbs being burnt over the fire. The Doctor assumed it was some form of sage to help with their visions.

At the head of the circle one Ood stood out over the others, he was the Ood's seer. As soon as the Doctor entered the cave he was hit with the voices of all the Ood in his mind.

"Returning, returning, returning, she is returning through the dark and the fire. Always returning, returning to this world. She is returning, and he does not see, he never see's, but too late. Too late. Far too late."

Ood Sigma escorted the Doctor to a free seat.

-"Sit with the Elder of the Ood and share the dreaming."

The Doctor sat and gave an awkward wave.

-"So. Yes right. Hallo."

"Join us, Join us, Join us." The voices repeated over and over inside his mind.

With an Ood on each side of him, they grasped his hands in theirs and the chant quieted down. Seconds after joining hands with each other, the Doctor's whole body stiffened as if he had been hit by lightning. All he saw was a bright white light for a brief moment until an image clouded his vision. Clara. Or at least she looked exactly like Clara. She was alone and frightened. The woman was looking around frantically, as if she was lost and something awful was chasing her.

"I don't know where I am." She said in a small voice. "Please ... where am I?" She frantically pleaded as she was backed against a wall, and from the darkness an unmistakably arm of a dalek came into view.

Seconds later the Doctor saw nothing but the bright white light and he was back, sitting with the Ood.

-"She comes to us every night." The Ood elder addressed him. "You come in this dark time when we are plagued with visions we do not understand."

-"That is Clara, is she alright?" The Doctor asked panicked, but none of the Ood answered him.

Instead Ood Stigma spoke up from behind the Doctor.

-"Who is the woman? We see her always, but know so little."

-"She's ..." The Doctor's brow furrowed, unsure on how to answer that, because right now he wasn't sure who or what Clara was. What had the Ood shown him? Her future?

The elder Ood spoke again, obviously unconcerned on who Clara was, or maybe he already knew.

-"And there is another. The loneliest of all, lost and forgotten."

With a bright white flash of light the Doctor was shown a man. The man stood on a spaceship of some sort, gazing out at the vast star system in front of him. It was quite lovely, with beautiful hues of pink and purples, but the stranger was staring right past it. His face was sad and somber.

The man faded and before the Doctor could even consider what he just saw the Ood spoke.

-"There is more. Join us ... " The elder paused for a moment as the Doctor felt the Ood's hands tightened. "Events are taking shape. So many years ago, and so many years in the future ... they change the now. There is a man."

The Doctor's vision went white again for a brief moment; his body froze moments before seeing a man, the same man as before. The man was tall, slim and had light hair that was perfectly styled. He wore an old fashion type suit, with a bow tie. The man's face was grim.

"When you are a time traveler, there is one place you must never go..."

The image faded and the Ood elder spoke again.

-"The lines of convergence are being drawn and your path is becoming clearer as time ticks by, a path that should have never been."

A new vision started. The image was dark, but he could make out two forms. One of a man and a woman. The man held the woman by the waist as she limped and stumbled, clutching onto the man's free arm. The more the Doctor observed them, it was obvious from the actions that the man cared for the woman and had no intentions on leaving her behind. They both turned to look behind them and when they did the Doctor noticed that it was the man from his earlier vision and Clara.

_Why was Clara there? Who was the man? A past boyfriend? A future lover?_ None of those thoughts made the Doctor very happy to think about.

The vision soon faded and the Doctor squinted as his eyes were assaulted with the bright candlelit of the cave. The Ood in the room all stared at him expectantly.

-"I don't know who the man is ..." The Doctor started.

It was obvious the Ood elder didn't want to hear what the Doctor had to say. He quickly started to speak again.

-"But something more is happening, Doctor. A shadow is falling over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark. The Ood have gained this power to see through time, because time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil, and these events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past." The elder paused, letting him absorb the information.

He glanced around, all the Ood sat as still as stone, all their eyes on him. Waiting, until the vision hit him, harder than the earlier ones. This one left him breathless. It showed Clara and she looked petrified.

"Doctor!" She shrieked and started to run.

The Doctor felt his stomach sinking. She had called his name. He watched Clara run and kneel next to a man, but the man was not him...

"Doctor, Doctor!"

Clara set her hands on him as the man screamed and groaned in pain. His body twisting left and right in agony. It was the same man he had seen before.

"What's wrong with him?" Clara yelled, her face creased with fear.

When the Doctor was brought back to the cave, he clutched at his chest. Both his hearts were pounding so hard and erratically. Clara had called that man Doctor ... Doctor. Was it him? A future face? Simeon's words came rushing back to him.

_"You were torn into a million pieces, copies of you all over the universe, just to save him."_

In a rush the Doctor started to stand.

-"I have to go!" His voice shook in a frenzy of fear he felt swelling out of him.

But the Ood on each side of him refused to let go of his hands and forced him to sit back down.

-"There is more ..." The elder spoke. Suddenly all the Ood in the cave piped at once. "You did not see ..."

A vision started and the Doctor gasped.

-"What's that?" He asked.

To his shock he saw a vision of himself, a past self. An old face. Running ... He remembered that day, he had stopped the cybermen from an attack on Earth in the 1960's. But as he saw himself run by, to his utter shock, Clara rushed by, chasing him, until the face of Simeon appeared from a dark corner. He had not seen him, but Clara had. She stopped him, killing him on the spot, but not before Simeon got in a blow of his own, a fatale hit.

Seconds later he was shown yet another face, an older one this time, yet again running, and Clara chasing behind him, calling his name. He had never heard her. Never seen her. And much like the Clara from the previous vision she sacrificed herself for him, saving him from yet another Simeon attack he had been oblivious too.

Over the next few minutes, the Doctor was shown all his faces, all his selves from the past and all of them had one thing in common. Clara saving his life from Simeon's.

Once all his faces were shown to him, and Clara had died for him so many times, in different time periods and different planets, he was brought back to the Ood cave. The Doctor's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and worry. He had to go to Clara, he had to see her! He stood up, the Ood didn't stop him. But they did have a final warning for him.

-"This is what we have seen, Doctor. You will face a choice. You were never supposed to meet the impossible girl. The choice you make now will set things in motion for the future, the present and the past. The darkness heralds only one thing."

All the Ood spoke at once, chanting in his head as he rushed away, and ran through to cave to the exit.

-"The end of time itself."

The Doctor never slowed, never stopped until he came to the TARDIS and without delay he started punching in the buttons to go back to 1718. But after pulling the last lever to set the TARDIS in motion, sparks flew and the time-machine made an awful grinding noise, shaking and moaning.

-"Come on!" The Doctor shouted at the ship.

* * *

_I was running. I didn't know where I was running too; all I knew was that I had to run. Everything depended on me running. Not just my life, but the fate of everyone in this entire universe depended on my reaching him in time._

_Him._

_I run until I see him, the most beautiful man. Not only was he stunning and fascinating, he was powerful and wise. He has many faces but his eyes are always the same, I always know him by the eyes. He doesn't always see him ... but this one did. This amazing man does see me. His arms are opened widely, encouraging me to run to him._

_"Clara!" He screams my name, begging for me to reach him._

_I pick up the pace, running ... until the same man with a different face appears, he is just has handsome but older ... not physically, his body appears young but his eyes ... they are old. His eyes burn into me, pleading me to stop._

_"Don't Clara, you can't."_

_But I ignore him, I don't care about him, I want the man behind him. I keep running, ignoring his warning, until I reach him. When I do I can see him much better._

_The Doctor._

_My Doctor, with his spiky, tousle hair, and long brown jacket. He envelops me in his strong arms and pulls me tightly to him. His hands roaming everywhere, touching me, as he buries his face in my hair._

_Until I feel a stronger grip on my shoulder. Not the Doctor's. Someone else's. The grip tightens. I trashed against it as it pulls me away from the Doctor. I try to fight it, but it's too strong. Too powerful. When I finally dare to twist my head to see who is tugging me away, it's the old man. Simeon's. His face is twisted in rage._

_-"You can't escape your destiny, Clara Oswald." His lips curled into an ugly smirk as I hear the Doctor screaming for me._

_I want to scream back, but I can't._

_I am falling._

_I don't know where I am ... but all I can hear is Simeon's horrible laugh and the Doctor screaming my name._

**oOo**

I cried out.

-"Clara! What's wrong?" Donna lights a small candle on the bedside between the two double beds.

I squinted at the sudden light. I could still hear the terrifying laugh. A laugh very much like the one I heard the day I had first met Simeon and he had said I was a mere copy of myself. Donna scrambled out of bed to grab one of the many candelabra and rush to the center of the room, ready to defend herself.

-"No!" I sat up. "It was just a dream."

-"Are you sure?" Donna scans the room with her sharp gaze.

-"Donna, please. You're scaring me with that."

-"You're scaring me! You screamed."

-"It was a bad dream. That's all."

Donna checked the lock on the door, and then peaked under the bed just to be sure.

-"I don't see anything."

I pressed a hand against my pounding heart. I didn't know which was scarier— my nightmare or the fact that Donna had insisted that we bunk in the same room after I told her I was having nightmares the first night we had been here.

-"Everything's fine," I assured my new friend. "Let's go back to sleep."

-"Are you sure?" Donna set the candelabra on the desk. "What was your dream ... was it the same as before?"

-"I don't want to talk about it." Or think about it. "Let's go back to sleep."

I scooted back under the covers. I had had the same dream every night since the Doctor ditched us in 1718. I was definitely freaked out at the prospect of being stuck here for the rest of my life. But Donna kept assuring me that he would be back ... eventually.

I just hoped he did that before I turned eighty. I couldn't understand why I was here. Why had the Doctor taken me here, to 1718? Donna claimed he was being nice and he probably just wanted me to meet someone I looked up too, but I was starting to doubt that. Especially since Mr. Halley had been conveniently busy all week and I had not seen him at all. I was starting to get the impression that I was being avoided.

But not for much longer because I would get my answers tonight.

**oOo**

I waited in the dark until I knew Donna was back asleep, and very carefully I tiptoed my way to the door and with a last glance back at the room, I slipped out into the brightly lit hallway.

The night was clear and I knew exactly where I would find Edmond. Outside, gazing out of his telescope. The whole week I had been here, it had rained and Edmond was never unavailable to see me. I was starting to wonder if the Doctor could control the weather as well. So on the first clear night in the last seven days, I knew exactly what Edmond would be doing.

Sure enough Edmond was outside, sitting on a small stool with a large map on his lap. His telescope was at his side and he seemed deep in thought, while fervently scribbling on the map. I silently approached, until I was close enough to see he held a map of the constellations and was making coordinates adjustments on it.

-"Lovely night for stargazing." I finally said.

Edmond jumped and his small round spectacles slipped off his nose and into the grass.

-"Oh, my!" He clutched the map to his chest. "Oh, Miss Oswald, you scared the living daylights out of me!" He chuckled after seeing it was only me.

-"Sorry." I said suddenly feeling bad for spooking the old man. He quickly dropped the map and bent down to find his glasses. I hurried to his side, kneeling in the damp grass, feeling around for his glasses. "Let me help you."

-"I am always losing those darn things. My wife has threatened to attach them on a string and put them around my neck." He chuckled as I felt my fingers glide over something cool.

-"Found them!" I happily claimed, handing them back to him.

-"Thank you, young lady." He smiled and set the spectacles back on his nose. He went back to his map and scribbles a few numbers down before looking back at me. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

I bit my lower lip, considering how best to bring up the subject. Now that I was face to face with him I felt my courage falter slightly. The man reminded me of my father, and I didn't want to yell at my father. I watched the older gentleman sitting in front of me, the slight crinkle in the corner of his eyes when he smiled, the weather skin on his face ... but he wasn't my father, I reminded myself. My father was safe at home in Northern London, and if I didn't get answers soon I wouldn't see him again.

-"Have you been avoiding me?" I asked bluntly.

Edmond's face flushed slight at my question. He seemed to be considering how best to answer.

-"Well ... Not exactly avoiding ... more like keeping myself conveniently busy." He smiled bashfully at his clever reply.

But I wasn't amused.

-"Why? Where did the Doctor go?" My eyes narrowed on him.

-"You will have to ask him yourself, he did not confide in me as to where he was going. I have avoided you ... well -" He paused. "I do not want to do the Doctor's work for him."

-"What does that mean?"

-"Clara, I have come to know the Doctor very well, and there is one thing I can say is the man runs. He always runs from things, sometimes because he rather not deal with the unpleasantness, other times, it's his way of saving someone. But this time I don't think he can run away from what his facing him." I furrowed my brow. I had no idea what he was talking about. Seeing my confusion Edmond smiled warmly at me, and then he looked past me. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

I quickly turned and saw him standing on the small path that was illuminated by lanterns, almost giving him an angelic look.

-"Doctor." I whispered at the sight of him.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all the follows/Favorites and comments! Please keep them coming!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Love is a Curse

**Chapter 6**

**Love is a Curse**

I stared at the Doctor from across the courtyard. He stood as still as a statue. His stare was filled with mixed emotions playing across his face. I could not tell if he was angry or upset but whatever it was, the emotion was intense and it was all directed at me.

I was so angry with him and I quickly found myself walking towards him. I wanted to tell him off. How dare he leave me here, without a word, leaving me to wonder if he would even come back.

As I closed the distance between us, I felt that pull again, that nagging feeling that I was connected to him drumming in the back of my head.

The Doctor still had not moved, his eyes were fixed on me but as I got closer I noticed he was not as composed as I first thought. His hair was droopy, his face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his clothing was skewed.

Something was wrong.

My anger swiftly evaporated and I rushed to his side. I stopped inches from him and yet he still stool as still as a statue.

-"Doctor?" My voice shook slightly. "Are you alright?"

He blinked several times and looked down at me, as if surprise to see me standing so close to him but his face didn't softened at all.

-"Who are you?" He finally asked in a harsh whisper.

-"What?" I furrowed my brow. Did he forget who I was?

-"I said, who you are?" His tone was lethal and I was suddenly slightly worried on what he might do.

-"It's – It's me, Clara ... We met in London ..."

The Doctor shook his head no, and without warning he violently grabbed ahold of each of my arms, his fingers digging in hard into my flesh.

-"That is not what I mean!" He hissed his face now inches from mine. "You ... you keep showing up, I've seen you, in every single one of my lives, in different times! It's not possible, you are not possible! Who are you?" He shook me, jerking my body back and forth.

-"I don't know what you mean!" I cried, suddenly very afraid. I was not frightened for my own safety, I knew he would never hurt me; I was scared of what was happening to the Doctor. "I just met you, last week, and then you brought me here. I've never met you before in my life!"

And just like that the Doctor's face softened and the anger in his eyes melted. His eyes stayed on me another long moment but he then released my arms and gathered me closely into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

-"You don't know ... You don't remember ..." He whispered as he dropped his face into my hair.

I wrapped my arms around him and held on as tightly as I could. I knew at this very moment I would never let go.

**oOo**

-"How can you be sure what they told you was the truth?" I asked, refusing to meet the Doctor's gaze from across the small table.

-"The Ood are not one for deceptions. The visions they showed me ... they were real Clara. You were there, in every single life of mine, and apparently you are in my future as well ..."

I tried hard to absorb the information he was telling me, but I found it all hard to swallow.

After our reunion the Doctor had found Donna and we had said a hasty goodbye to Edmond. The Doctor had been quiet and said little until he ushered Donna and I into the TARDIS.

-"Donna ... Could you give Clara and I a moment alone please?" He had asked with a stillness that I had not seen before.

-"Yeah ... sure." Donna had shrugged. "Ditch me in 1718 for a week, and then wake me up in the middle night just to tell me to get lost. You got some nerve spaceman!" Donna ranted towards the hallway. "Just as well, I am going to take the longest, hottest shower in history."

The Doctor had pressed a few buttons to get the TARDIS in orbit and he had then led me through the mazes of corridors until we reached a small, quaint kitchen. The area seemed so out of place and strange, not like anything else on the ship. It reminded me of a regular kitchen that you would find on earth, with scratched on the counter and the expired milk in the fridge.

That is when he told. My heart had sunk as I felt tears well up in my eyes.

-"So I am not real ..."

-"Don't say that!" The Doctor jumped to his feet and rushed to my side. With force he unexpectedly grabbed the back of the chair I was sitting on and roughly spun it to the side so I was now facing him. He sank to his knees and grabbed my hands in his. "You listen to me Clara Oswald." Our eyes met and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. "I might have seen women that looked like you, but none of them were you! You are amazing and unique, and there is no other like you."

I quickly stood up, brushing the Doctor aside, rushing to the further counter. I needed space to think and I couldn't think with him so close to me. I gripped the counter, keeping my back to the Doctor and my head bowed down.

-"I've seen it, I've seen you." I swallowed thickly. "In my dreams, you are there. There are two of you, the future you ... I will die because I am not the real Clara." I turned and faced the Doctor. I wanted to tell him it was okay, but the words stuck in my throat as I watched him stand and walked towards me.

He was so close I could smell his sweet breath of the tea we had just shared.

-"I won't let you die Clara." He moved closer to me, forcing me to retreat until my back was firmly against the counter. I could feel his entire body pressed against mine. I struggle to catch my breath, as I watch his eyes darkened. "How do you know it was a future me?"

His question rattled me.

-"Future you?" I could barely form the word. With him to close to me I could barely think straight.

-"You said you dream of me, and him, how do you know it's me from the future and not the past?"

I was speechless. I didn't want to tell him all the intimate details. I didn't want him to know that I could tell by the eyes. The other Doctor in my dreams just seems older. The cheery, homey kitchen started to make me feel claustrophobic.

-"I – I rather not say." I tried to sound determined.

-"Why not?" He leaned down, his forehead grazing mine.

-"It's personal."

I tried to push him away from me, but truth be told I was not trying very hard. He swiftly grabbed my wrists, holding them tightly. I didn't struggle; my body betrayed my mind's desire to break free.

-"Answer the question, Clara."

But I couldn't think with him so close. _What had he asked?_ All of a sudden, I felt his lips barely graze mine as I struggle to recall what we were talking about. I tried to fight the desire to push myself into him. The nearness of his lips was tempting me.

-"I just know ... He feels older." I manage to croak out.

His breath caressed my cheek. I tried and take a deep breath. My mind was telling me that he's was stranger yet my body was not agreeing with that though. Releasing my hands, the Doctor fingers weaved through my hair, his thumbs pressing against the base of my skull. I was caught again, and a feeling of stillness came over me.

His words were so quiet and intimate he seemed to be talking directly into my mind. His lips began to move incrementally along my jawbone. Each place his mouth touched burnt my skin.

-"Doctor." I breathed around the catch in my throat. I closed my eyes at the sensation, but when he suddenly pulled away I expected him to say something.

Instead the Doctor's hungry lips met mine. His arms locked around me, and his fingertips cradled my head. My lips parted under his, my hands trapped between his chest and mine. Underneath my palms I unexpectedly felt two thumps, one on each side of his chest, as if he had two hearts.

The beating was wild and erratic and with the beats, the kiss changed. The Doctor was no less demanding, but the hunger in his touch turned to something bittersweet. His hands moved forward smoothly until he was cupping my face, and he pulled away reluctantly.

For the first time, I heard the soft, ragged sound of his uncontrolled breathing. Something I knew he was not familiar with, losing control.

-"I took advantage of you ... I shouldn't have." He whispered.

My eyes flew open. There was no mistaking the sharp look on his face. It was bewilderment at his actions, at his loss of control. The Doctor was a creature of instinct, and his was to run. I recognized it right away.

But I had instincts, too.

-"I'm safe with you." I formed the words with lips that were still burning from his kiss.

-"A human—safe with a Time Lord?" He gave a biter laugh. "No one is safe around me, Clara." His words were gut-wrenching to hear and his face was sorrow-filled. Instantly recognizing words that were meant to scare me away.

I couldn't image what happened in this poor man's life to think such sad thoughts about himself. Our eyes met and locked, neither of us blinking. I showed no fear of him. The Doctor made a low sound of surprise.

-"How brave you are."

-"I've never been brave."

-"When you were faced with Simeon's you did not show fear ... even after he told you were a mere copy, you were ready to jump to my rescue." I quirked my eyebrow and the Doctor gave a faint smile. "I saw you, digging into your pocket to get the mace spray out. You were going to try to save me again, after saving me from the bus — that was bravery."

-"That's stubbornness." My father had explained the difference a long time ago.

-"I've seen courage like yours before—from women, mostly." The Doctor continued as if I hadn't spoken. His face was filled with misery and anguish as if remembering women that had been brave. "Men don't have it. Their resolve is born out of fear. It's merely bravado." His glance flickered over me.

I felt my eyes starting to water. For some reason the words brought me so much sadness. Even without knowing that I was just a copy of the real Clara, I was programmed to save this wonderful man in front of me.

One of his fingers reached out and captured a tear from the tips of my eyelashes. His face was sad as he helped me back to my chair; he crouched next to me, resting one hand on my knee and the other on the arm of the rush-seated chair in a protective circle.

-"Promise me that you will never question the fact that you are real. To me Clara Oswald you are as real as you can get."

-"I'm sorry," I whispered, forcing myself not to look away. I wanted to believe his words...

-"Clara ..." He groaned at my response. "I will keep you safe."

I wanted to believe him ... but I still couldn't. My mind was whirling with the memory of his kiss, his fury, and his palpable sadness. There was something else ... as if a small part of me should be afraid of him, of what he brought with him. There was a side of him that he kept hidden behind those eyes and that scared me the most of all.

He bowed his head, resting the crown against my shoulder. He spoke so softly that I had to strain to hear.

-"Human and Time Lords aren't meant to feel this way about each other. I'm experiencing emotions I don't want—" He broke off.

-"I know." Carefully I leaned my cheek against his hair. It felt as satiny as it looked. "I feel them, too."

I held onto him for a long time and when I felt him shift and start to pull away I immediately felt cold and empty.

-"Ugh, I am not as young as I used to be." The Doctor joked, all traces of his earlier forlornness gone. He slowly stood to his feet and stretched his long body.

Despite myself my lips curved into a small smile at his pained expression as he put his hands on his lower back and curved his body backwards, trying to get the kinks out of spine. Once his back cracked several times he grinned at me and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet.

-"I have somewhere I want to take you!" He said suddenly, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

But leery from the last time he wanted to show me something, I eyed him suspiciously.

-"It's not somewhere that you plan to just drop me off at again is it?"

The Doctor shook his head no and twirled me around twice before catching me in his arms.

-"No, it's even better!" His face beaming in a beautiful smile. "How do you feel about dancing?"

**oOo**

Back in the TARDIS console room, the Doctor was pressing several buttons and running around excitedly.

-"So where exactly are we going?" I asked, watching him with delight as he rushed past me to pull a lever, and then came by again to push another button.

-"To the Aurora Planet in the Scarlet galaxy! Every five hundred years the planet is bombarded with small meteors that shower the skies for three nights. The inhabitants throw a week-long celebration just to honor the return of the comet which brings the meteors with it. It is also the only time you can see the Aurora's special rose bloom. They claim that the stardust is magical and can heal anything, from a broken bone to a broken heart."

-"So we are going to a party?" His excitement was contagious, and who didn't love a good party?

The Doctor stopped his running around long enough to face me, his face turning serious.

-"Yes we are Clara Oswald! I want to show you that you are indeed alive."

He turned around and pulled a last lever on the TARDIS. The ship made its familiar wheezing sound, but seconds later shook and rattled. I quickly grabbed on to the closes thing to keep myself stable. The Doctor grabbed the side of the console and glared at the controls.

-"Why can't you just behave?" He mumbled.

* * *

**_Present Day Eleventh Doctor and Clara_**

The Doctor and Clara sat on the deserted sandy beach. Clara shivered deeper into the thick wool blanket.

-"When I said I wanted a day at the beach, this is not what I had in mind." She grumbled as her teeth chattered violently.

The Doctor looked up from his book and glanced at Clara.

-"Well it's less busy this way."

-"Of course it's less busy, it's below zero! Only penguins are crazy enough to be at the beach in this weather."

-"Don't be silly Clara; penguins do not live in this part of the world."

Clara mumbled something inaudible, but before the Doctor could ask her to repeat that, his whole body stiffen and he stood up with lightning speed dropping his book to the ground.

-"Doctor?" Clara asked suddenly concerned.

-"No, no, no! What am I doing? That is not supposed to happen!"

-"Doctor? What is wrong?" Clara stood but wasn't too sure what she should do. The Doctor brushed by her and started to pace, ignoring her, making Clara worry even more. "Please, Doctor what is it?" She stood in front of him so he would have to go around her.

But he didn't. He stopped dead in his tracks, and glared down at Clara.

-"It always comes back to you, doesn't it?" He spat with annoyance. Clara frowned, hurt and confused by his words. The Doctor's face softened and he sighed. "I have to go." He said.

-"What? Where are we going?"

-"No, you have to stay here."

-"What? Doctor, please explain what is going on?" Clara felt panic rising inside her.

-"I have to go fix a very big mistake I am about to make. Going will mean that I have to cross my own timeline and I might just make the whole universe explode ... but if I don't ... the consequences could be even worse ..."

Clara stood dumbfounded as the Doctor hurried past her and rushed to the TARDIS. What could possibly be worse than the whole universe exploding? And what did he mean he had to stop himself from making a huge mistake?

* * *

**A/N:**

**I really do appreciate all the favorites and follows. Thank you! **  
**Please don't be shy and leave me a comment, even just a short one, I'd love to hear what you all think of my story.**

**Thank You!**


End file.
